Top 10 companies operating by management contract
3.11 Tourism as mass-media 146
Perhaps the most surprising conclusion of a careful analysis of the contemporary tourist activity that tourism is a means of mass-media. From the globalization point of view we can see of the mass-media, but is, in itself, a very strong one which acts in the usage of those who obtain direct profits from this activity: interest groups, politicians, etc.
3
, in any purpose, including: emigration, immigr
3.11.2 W
at any time for anybody
• rhyth
e trip itself (some sort of outgoing and
omest edia). Annex 1
that it not only uses modern means
.11.1 Imposed determinations from "tourism" definition
We have seen that several definitions have been used for the term “tourism” throughout time, but which changed contents. The multitude of definitions used reveal the fact that one must consider “tourism” as being any voyage, made by anybody
ation, selling of goods, foreign students, etc. see also chapter 1.6 Semantics and contents statements
This is why we felt he need to mention that the full length of “tourism”, as we will use it below, in its broader sense, because the main attribute of tourism is movement, unrelenting contact with a new space, a new “reality”, different from that of one’s own home.
hat do we understand by "mass-media".
According to the purpose of the media (means of mass information), it has several definitions. But most of them include attributes of:
• omnipresence and public: we meet them everywhere, and are available m and periodicity in appearance
• largely spread, universal, their message being complex and vast
• penetration power, they are addressed to everybody, to the masses, they simplify the distribution of information
• instant and actual communication
• accessibility
Mass-media facilitates:
• information access
• cultural, educational and instructional access
• typical and social intercommunication
“compensation” trough entertainment and fun
•
3.11.3 Tourism as mass-media:
Starting with the 60s, tourism became a mass movement. By making a comparison with the media we will see that it has all of its attributes: we find a place where the message is being elaborated (information), which are then, distributed trough specific channels which chase the same goals. Furthermore, tourism, like the media (means of mass information) allows “the target”
ontact with reality, during th to verify received information trough direct c
“feed back”) which allows for a high degree of credibility.
rism: incoming, The phenomenon is similar in all three aspects of tou
d ic. We can thus conclude that tourism is a means of mass communication (m
146 see also Rotariu I, Tileaga C., Serbu R., Tourism as mass media: a possible option to appraise the European tourist offer on the 21st century la ITB-Tourism Studies Center 2002, and Rotariu I., Tourism as mass media - a tool which can leads from weekends to seven earning days, ATLAS conference – Visions of Sustainability, Estoril 2003
115
allows us to see the magnitude of the phenomenon. In developed countries, it involves scores of
d to summer holidays from a young age. Then, from esire, thanks to brochures, we create the image, the illusion of happiness until the holiday itself.
, but reality…as we offer it” .
act on as any other small, competing agency on the market. Capital concentration on transna
Apostle: let me feel it
must oint out the following:
s used by the tourism industry. Information appears especially as a
s between the tourism enterprise and the market der to obtain pre-established results
- Putting into contact and influencing “target” ideas regarding a certain culture/society – in
1.2 “Informal” tourism as mass - media: people who have neither money nor do they have spare time are traveling, especially in the last few years, when these movements gained a mass aspect.
As examples, here are the following:
- Illegal emigration: any illegal emigrant follows a certain path to reach “the promised land”. And information is used correctly and with effect! How can they get it? How is this world of the “underground” tourism being organized? Who has the know how? A correct analysis can not prove who uses clandestine emigration more: the emigrant or the citizens of the country of destination?
people, more than in the newspaper industry, the radio listeners or TV watchers. Its participation however expands to the inhabitants of the destination areas as well, with which tourists come into direct or indirect contact.
This allows me to say: “the child is use d
We sell them their own memories. We are gifted with the strongest means of conviction that would have satisfied even Thomas the Apostle. This is the consequence of the fact that we are always in
immediate contact with life and reality 147
Concerning tourism there have been a lot of talks about tourism as business, about the tourism industry being able to become a development factor. The role of tourism as a social factor was neglected, as a result of the pact, the social contract. Today’s western European worker will not give up his life standard easily, his holiday abroad. And we do not believe that TUI, Accor or Thomas Cook
tional markets forces the state to become a partner of the private sector.
But tourism is also a means of mass dispersion (mass - media). It is the strongest both by coverage area as well as by force: it is governed by the principle of Thomas the
and I will believe”. It’s hard to convince wieners after you have eaten their swans148! The same goes for Romanians after you’ve turned down their visa! This force is ignored because it does not produce cash immediately; the sacrifice of the future is preferred, for today. The power for awakening the sense of history and belief in values is lacking. But this is used by all developed countries, especially in crisis situations like the one set off by the new degree of terrorism.
1.1 Classical tourism as mass-media: there are two criteria which are considered to allow the participation of tourism (in its classical sense): available money and spare time. This is why I p
1.1.1 Tourism is a media (means of communication) of consequence: there are very few direct means of communication
consequence of the activity of the whole area / community in political, social, economic, cultural life, etc. “Outgoings” of the tourism system are directed mainly towards:
- The image of the tourist destination - The communication proces
- The quality of the “direct contact” with reality (feedback)
1.1.2 Tourism is a media (means of communication) because it allows for:
- Transmission of information in or
order to maintain a certain standard of life as a result of a long term social contract (The Marshall plan included holidays and the promise that it is hard it imagine that it can be excluded from the standard of the German citizen, for example)
147 Rotariu I. – speech at the WATA General Assembly - Bled 1994
148 a regrettable incident in 1990 – 1991 when Romanian gypsies in Vienna, caught and ate free swans on the lakes of the city, the same as they did with wild geese in their villages of origin
116
- Legal emigration: relatives pay for trips one way or another, etc- movements caused by local crisis: cases like the Eastern countries, Hong Kong, Africa, Israel (the last one as an
ge number of clandestine emigrants, whereas the closer the adhesion moment got, e larger number of labor laws were emitted, including statistically trough special visas.150
media differently than other means of communication: information volution already allows for:
fits.
haracter, this distribution channel becomes a
tourism. In the conscious use of tourism as a means of mass communication
exception which keeps tourism up and running in spite of all known crisis149) etc.
“The tip of the iceberg” is statistically represented in Annex 25. Immigrants have had the tourist status for a long time; wither because of the tourist visa, either because of the type of traveling outside the usual residence, for another purpose than passing spare time, but belonging to the formal topics of the tourist definition. And their “voyage” was a very precise one, as organized as a tourist voyage. Let us add illegal immigrants and we will begin to approximate the submersible side of the colossus. Actually, all countries which adhered to the E.U. in subsequent waves had a lar
th
1.3 How does tourism use the re
- Rich people, especially businessmen to “travel” on the information highways of global communications. For them, it does not even matter if they are at the office or on the beach anymore. In such situations, the “tourist” stays at home, whereas the information and its image travel, the place of which it speaks
- As information networks to exchange the so called classical tourism system: the choice of a destination, the booking and organization of a service package will require a simple connection of the computer to the network.
We may conclude that “tourism”, whether in the “classical”, or the “large” meaning that we propose is a very powerful means of information transfer about the “ethnos”, about races, peoples, history, their present and future trough direct contact, ergo of unlimited bene Involving a large number of people, having the mass c
powerful mass-media tool with persuasion power. Tourism manipulation was difficult, costly, but extremely efficient. It was simpler during the cold war, now it is far more complex.
We have begun studying tourism from a new point of view: as a means of mass communication (mass media). The field is, as a simple incision revealed, gigantic and we have no theoretical research in this field. But tourism history after the Second World War reveals that there have been such guidelines in the history of many countries. The collapse of “the wall” and the last few years reveal the need of a theoretical system and of an international practice regarding the use of this means. In creating or destroying social movements through persuasion, self-suggestion and stimulation trough
(mass-media).
3.11.4 Major mutations, both present and predictable in the near future. Tourism on the horizon of the 21st century
ist movements in the USA launched the “I care, I go!” campaign, trough which free 0.000 workers, both legal or not,
ense of the Romanian state, of gypsy palaces built from public es to a minority incapable of understanding them. Furthermore, even for lling of iron (!?)”, it would have been compulsory to check the way the iron ct and sell it. At the same time, legal situations had to be er the individuals whose deeds have a negative impact on the entire populace. Whereas the size of the phenomenon has all the characteristics of a mass media event, which is extremely accurate, as one can observe.
149 After the war in Iraq, Zion
trips are offered to Israel. The Mayor of New York was among the travelers.
mate around 90 150 This phenomenon is the same for Romania as well. Officials esti
in Israel. In EU countries, once the legal boundaries have been set, the exodus appears to have stopped. Unfortunately, the evil caused by the image of gypsies will not be erased for a long period of time. The aggressive begging, thievery could be quickly stopped by presenting, at the exp
mercy and by applying western principl palaces built from “honest labor, the se
was obtained as well as the accomplice which helped colle clearly marked, in order to condemn not the entire race, rath
117
On the horizon of the years 2004 – 2005, the duration of a transpacific voyage will shorten.
urthermore, the Pacific area from the USA, Canada, all the way to China, Korea, Thailand, etc.
res (a few tenths of millions) which will require traveling. Western urope prepares to adapt to their expectations. For example: the Kompas company in
: past which will determine future actions. Tourism is not r attitude
Nicolae Craiu, in his excellent Ph.D. work “The
economy. It is rather hard, at least from the perspective of practice. For example, as stealing is a human nature, Indians reserved a guild for thieves, Arabians punish them by cutting the sinful hand, the seventh commandment demands of the Jew or Christian believer not to steal, Zen excludes the possession of personal belongings, primitive societies go from social exclusion all the
F
will have even more millionai E
Yugoslavia151, which, in spite of the war, remained intact in the republics of the former country and opened over 15 offices abroad, carrying Canadians to Italy and Czechs to the US, and began investments for the opening of its first Asian offices in order to collect information, offer transfers, tourist attraction.
Integration is not an option: it is survival for all of us and for West Europeans. Even if we were to incline towards Americans or Asians, the signals for the division of power (which came by relaxing the degree of American and Asian involvement), but mostly the belonging unites us.
Where is Romania in this tough competition?
In a global world you must live at a global level. And integration is impossible without learning the rules of international tourism, without learning and respecting the conduit code.
Especially one cannot ignore that tourism effects concern the future. The sensations of the present are subliminal, memories become past
only a school for the others; rather it determines how we will live with others, what ou
will be. Our world, the world created by tourism producers is a global one, with only one race: the human race. Presented in its specificity, element by element for diversity. With past, present and hope. Any mistake can lead to incurable practices. And this rationed to a large mass of people called “tourists”.
3.11.5 Tourism as mass-media; possible contributions in establishing European strategies at the horizon of the 21st century – a possible redefining of actual values, a possible definition of tomorrow’s values
To what purposes can tourism be used as a mass-media means?
• In the tourism activity:
- To obtain more cash from incoming, outgoing or domestic activities - To develop certain areas, activities or production means
- To raise the standard of living and/or to reduce costs by: developing spas which decreases the consumption of medical chemical products
• In the political or social fields:
- To attract sympathy or interest
- To offer as a compensation prize or as an outlet - The opposite of he situations above